


flowering ink

by youubi



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, also in which daichi is hella gay and suga is artsy and an angel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-22
Updated: 2015-04-22
Packaged: 2018-03-22 05:13:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3716467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youubi/pseuds/youubi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daichi had his path in college perfectly planned and calculated, but when a certain light haired artist crashes his way into them with a collection of smiles...</p><p>"I think that anybody that smiles automatically looks better." --Diane Lane</p>
            </blockquote>





	flowering ink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Take your otp and imagine each of them them working in neighboring flower and tattoo shops. Now switch the roles.
> 
> The whole fic is loosely based off a song named ["Tomorrow"](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT8O9yNieeY/) by Gianluca Bezzina.  
> Also writing these two characters in shop roles against type is great fun!

Daichi had his life pretty damn decently planned out after he graduated high school for a first year college student.

Enter a university, take afternoon classes, spend the mornings working a job, find a girl you like and marry after you graduate, settle down with a well paying job, possibly have kids.

The job part was where it all had collapsed.

Businesses that accepted high-school graduates/college students were rare enough in the part of town that Daichi was in, even rarer for part-time shifts considering the sheer amount of those student types wandering around dragging their asses day-by-day living off the meager allowance that their merciful and compassionate parents cared to give them.

Daichi could only wish he was an exception to that group.

_"Keep doing well in school! Make us proud, Daichi!"_

The black haired young adult could feel his lips twitch with a ghost of a smile at the message contained within the envelope that held his monthly allowance. He was lucky to have such kind and understanding parents that send you more than a thousand dollars a month with nearly no questions asked on where it went as long as he produced results in university. And with nearly perfect scores in nearly every subject, you could say that he was a fairly responsible adult.

A responsible  _jobless_ adult.

The thought caused Daichi's shoulders to slump. Today's morning will be another one spent fruitlessly wandering the city and pouring over magazines and newspapers in order to find that one business that was in need of an undergraduate student to fill in a blank space of working zombies that they had already employed for morning shifts.

Daichi once considered himself an optimistic man despite his absolutely terrifying demeanor when his patience was tested, wanting to live a complete and wholesome life fairly untouched by negativity.

Silly thought really, everyone's life hits a speed bump somewhere in the road. Except, in Daichi's case it was a giant cement block.

The job thing was a variable that Daichi couldn't control, unlike his subject major of Mechanical Engineering that involved math in which you can always rely on numbers to give you the most accurate answer. Input numbers, output the answer, math was a stable support that wouldn't vary like, say, life.

Life took those numbers that you calculate and formulate yourself, swallows them, chews them up, and spits out a completely random set of events that can take even the most educated mathematician by complete shock.

Those kinds of events can lead up to the situation that Daichi was in now, trudging along the main street with his hands shoved in his pockets, fingers rubbing the paper envelope that he had picked up a couple minutes ago on the campus of Kanagawa University at the beginning of his first summer break. That envelope contained the endless support sent from his parents, believing that their eldest son, their most responsible and respectable son, will find his way in life using that money. Their  _jobless_ son.

The envelope suddenly felt fifty times heavier.

Many of his friends have spoken to the repressed young man before about his situation. He was only a college student, an undergraduate! He should be focusing on his studies, try for an internship that could possibly lead him to a better job when he graduates, not a part-time shift job that barely pays above the minimum wage.

To be fair, Daichi knew that he was being hard on himself. He had more than enough savings from the too large allowance given to him from his parents, careful budgeting leading ultimately to him having much more than he needed! But Daichi was a man of calculations and planning, and his plan was the following: enter a university, take afternoon classes, spend the mornings working a job, find a girl you like and marry after you graduate, settle down with a well paying job, possibly have kids.

He was currently on step three, metaphorically of course. Physically he was, perhaps, on step 2,000, and his feet hurt.

That last thought caused Daichi to blink and look up in hopes for a place to rest, a book store, maybe a cafe where he could rest his feet and buy the cheapest coffee they have while he meanders on their free wifi on his used and thoroughly beaten up smart phone. He was quite convinced that the previous owner was some spoiled rich kid that the world seemed to be getting more of these days, the kind that immediately get the newest version of android or smart phone as soon as its released, but it could simply be his negative outlook on life knocking on his head once more.

But of course, life had something else planned for him, another unseen variable spat his way. Instead of one of the numerous cafes located near the campus (he should know, he looked for employment in nearly all of them) he could see was a beaten up flower store and a tattoo parlor. Daichi moaned to himself pitifully. Here he was, complaining about a first world problem, where was his life headed? He could hear his mother scolding him in the back of his head. 

_"Now now Daichi, we're lucky that we're one of the families that are well off and live in a wealthy nation. Think about those poor kids in Africa..."_

The comforting voice faded off in his mind as he shuffled toward the more obvious choice between the two stores laid in front of him. He's heard enough rumors about tattoo parlors to know that he should probably never enter one without the supervision of a previous client who approves of the store. Hell, one of his high school friends had gotten a tattoo from a parlor drawn so badly that they had to cover it up by claiming it was a tattoo of Stitch, the blue Disney character. The tattoo was originally supposed to be that one American singer Taylor Swift. 

Immediately after the glass-paneled door of the flower store opened a humid, earth-like smell wafted into Daichi's nostrils. It wasn't unpleasant, altogether, but as a man who spent most of his days indoors he could have hoped for better, used to the regulated and stagnant air of lecture rooms and dormitories.

He could hear a small bell ring in the back. An alarm, of course, for arriving customers Daichi mused as he looked around the shop. It was traditionally styled with pale blue walls and vintage decorating, low tables on which rows and rows of pots filled with earth sat. Most of them housed a floral inhabitant of some kind, their leaves waving at Daichi in the embrace of the air conditioner. He was bowed over the bobbing head of daffodils when he heard a muffled argument from the back of the shop.

"But Hajime, we're supposed to leave for my darling nephew's wedding in a  _week._ We need to plan and pack!"

"Shut the fuck up Assikawa, of course I know that! But who's gonna look after the shop while we're gone?"

"Can't we just close up the shop for a while? We're only going to be gone for a month, not like we're missing a whole lot!"

"Yeah, and we're going to leave a stock of flowers nearly worth thousands without watering and sunlight for a month, sounds like a great plan!"

"Are you being sarcastic?"

"I don't know, am I?"

From the pitch of the two voices they were two men, most likely in their late twenties or early thirties and owners of the flower shop. Daichi grunted. Based on prior knowledge of flower shops and the normal stereotype, two men were not normally the most average audience that flower shop owners seemed to fit in. But this was just another event that life threw at him, Daichi supposed.

A pouting man walked out from a swinging door behind the counter, his fingers combing through his tousled brown hair. He was tall and well built, his slender shoulders and sharp features made prominent by the low hanging blue sweater that he wore, somehow accentuating his light tan skin without contrasting greatly. He was the type that girls probably fell for all the time.

The man took notice of Daichi for the first time after entering the shop, as it he had completely forgotten the bell that alerted Daichi's arrival only a couple minutes ago. His clouded eyes widened at the sight of the black haired adult, his hands shifting to rest behind carelessly behind his head. 

"So you're the one who entered, huh? Welcome to Hanabi, run by Iwaizumi Hajime and Oikawa Tooru." The taller man then lowered a hand to point to himself with a crooked smile. "The second name is mine."

Daichi's guard immediately lifted at the large smile offered to him by the man who introduced himself as Oikawa Tooru. The smile rubbed him in the wrong way, not that he was going to tell the shop co-owner that considering he was only in there for the air-conditioning. Instead Daichi returned a smile of his own, nodding his head in a small respectful bow.

"Sawamura Daichi, it is nice to meet you Oikawa-san."

Tooru chuckled and leaned across the counter, stretching his long arms as he observed Daichi in front of him with cold calculating eyes hidden behind a mask of uncaring. "Judging by that look of naivety and the bags under your eyes, you're a student Kanagawa University a couple streets down, right?"

With a small nod Daichi took a small step back, pretending to look at a bouquet of roses wrapped neatly in pink cellophane resting in a bucket of similar bouquets in front of the counter. Might as well seem as a probable customer, lest the owner took to kicking him out of the shop for loitering.

"What do you recommend to a student looking for flowers for his girlfriend?" Daichi asked while crouching to look at the brightly colored flowers.

The shop owner watched lazily at the younger man, yawning and smiling crookedly once more. "You know I don't really care that you're just around the shop for the cold air, it  _is_ pretty hot out there and we get enough business on the weekends as it is."

Daichi flinched and straightened out immediately, his eyes narrowing towards the shop owner. "How did you know?"

Tooru shrugged and stood up, his formed lips pursing. "Hmm, just say that its about your look. You don't look like a guy in love, and trust me, I know what it looks like."

Before the college student could ask anything else a black haired man burst into his room, his teeth worrying into the nail of his right thumb as he looked over a packet of papers in his other hand.

Daichi guessed that he was probably the other owner of the shop and the owner of the rougher voice that he had heard in the back of the shop just earlier, Iwaizumi Hajime. He was shorter than Tooru, his frame stockier and more muscular than his fellow shop owner.  He had spiked up black hair and sharp brown eyes that were full of a burning passion, his features rough and strong. He was the complete opposite of Tooru, but equally attractive.

Daichi suddenly realized that he was the shortest person in the room, as odd an observation as ever in the situation he was in. For some reason it irked him.

 "Oi Tooru, don't mess with the students and let them be, you know that Takeda-san isn't all that pleased when he gets reports of a disturbing flower shop near the campus," the second shop owner shot the brunet a withering glare, causing the taller male to lift his hands in a surrendering gesture. 

"Hey Hajime don't kill me yet, I think I might have found the answer to our problems!" Tooru exclaimed with a smile, this time genuine.

"I know what you're thinking but its a stupid idea. What kinda idiot agrees to work in a flower shop for a month without a paycheck till we return?"

"I'll do it." The words leave Daichi's mouth before he could think about it, uncharacteristically of him.

The two shop owners turn their heads simultaneously toward Daichi.

Silence hangs heavy in the air until Tooru tentatively prods it with another hesitant yet solid smile and a single, questioning word.

"Really?"

Daichi stares uncomfortably back at the two older men before swallowing thickly and nodding. "Yes, I have been looking for a job a while now and I have been getting desperate. I have a decent amount of savings so I can survive until I get my paychecks next month. As long as I'm paid the amount I've worked for than I'm satisfied, but I'll only be able to run the store until my afternoon lectures at around three in the afternoon..."

Hajime waved a hand, his sharp gaze softening a sliver. "We're planning on shortening the shop hours while we're away anyway, we'd be really grateful if you would be able to work the shop during the weekday mornings. Weekends you can have off as long as you keep the temperature and the watering system under control for the couple days you won't be able to maintain the shop. Do you have any prior experience working with plants?"

The shorter male blinked and shook his head sheepishly. "Admittedly no, but I can learn."

Tooru walked from behind the counter and stood behind Daichi, slapping the student gently on the back while smiling at Hajime. "See Jiji? We have a capable worker on our hands, our problem is solved!"

 The other owner groaned and massaged his head. "Okay first don't ever call me that name again. Second, I'll go get the tickets sorted out and begin plans if you can train the newbie here for the next couple days on how to run the store."

"Yessir, you can rely on me!"

"Somehow I think you're going to dump the responsibility somehow on me."

After an exchange of phone numbers and instructions to drop by the store tomorrow for further instructions and an evaluation Daichi left the store with a lighter heart. Might as well return to dormitory and take a day off of studying for a day of celebration, he might finally be jumping over the hurdle that was step three in his life plan. He stopped for iced coffee and free wifi along the way also, if you're wondering.

 

\- - -

 

Daichi watched with a frown as Tooru sat on a stool behind the counter, his long fingers opening the cash-register with a small bell ring and closing it, repeating this process over and over. The noise was getting on Daichi's nerves, biting away at the large thresh-hold of patience that he had. (It had once been significantly larger, but college can do things to you.)

"Oikawa-san."

The older adult looked up with a hum, raising a brow as he glanced at Daichi's tense expression with a lazy smile. "Yes?"

Clearing his throat and willing the fire in himself to settle he returned Tooru's gaze steadily, his gaze darkened with impatience. "I understand that Iwaizumi-san had outlined the ropes of the shop completely yesterday in your place and has told me that you will be giving me my evaluation today. You are aware of this, yes?"

Tooru crinkled his nose in distaste and straightened, running his fingers through his hair as was his habit when specifically aiming to annoy the hell out of someone, as Daichi had noticed. 

"You speak just like an old man Daichi-kun, lighten up! And of course I know about the whole evaluation thing, I'm co-owner of this little shop remember?" the brunet answered breezily.

A couple moments of silence passed between the two as Daichi looked at the taller male, expecting a more elaborate answer. Once it became clear that Tooru was finished speaking and returning to messing with the cash-register the black-haired male groaned and ran a hand over his face with a groan.

Life just enjoys spitting the most unpredictable people his way.

Ding. Ding. Ding. The cash-register continued its pointless blabber as Tooru continued to fiddle with it.

Gripping the counter with one hand and using the other to push the cash-register closed with a terse smile, Daichi gritted his teeth and added, "So, could I maybe receive that assessment sometime now? Or in the hour? Maybe sometime during today?"

Tooru glanced at the wall clock behind Daichi's head hanging over the door and grinned. "Hey, its almost time that Suga-chan is arriving."

Daichi repressed the urge to reach over and throttle the older male when the shop entrance door opened gently, the bell that signaled that a customer had arrived ringing in the back.

Surprisingly Tooru stood up to full height, a rare true smile gracing his handsome features. "Suga-chan! Here for some reference for your art?" he called over Daichi's shoulder, his cold eyes losing their calculating glance with a glimmer of something warmer.

From the back door Hajime walked in, clapping his dirt covered hands on his apron as a smile also graced his strong features, his brown eyes also sparkling with a warm expression as he called out a greeting to this "Suga-chan" that was entering the shop.

Curious to see what kind of person could possibly cause these two judging adults to drop their masks, Daichi turned to find himself face to face with a shorter male.

This "Suga-chan" was shorter than he was, (Daichi felt a pang of satisfaction at that) his frame lean and slender but underneath the plain grey polo shirt it was obvious that he held physical strength. His hair was an impossibly light color, the overhead lights shining off the well conditioned hair to make it appear an even lighter color. He had a round face with rosy cheeks, his skin matching his hair's impossible color by being an ivory pale pallet. He had a small beauty mark under his left eye and clear brown eyes, but what set him off the most from an average person would be his wide and friendly smile.

The stranger held up his hands with that warm smile, tilting his head to the side with a tinkling laugh. "Hey there, are you the new apprentice of Oikawa and Iwaizumi that I've heard so much about? Its nice to meet him in the flesh, although I heard you only met these two guys a couple days ago."

Daichi blinked in order to somehow dull the pristine appearance of the new person that life had thrown into his path as he stammered out a stumbling, "Y-yeah, that's me."

Tooru walked from around the counter and wrapped a long arm "Suga-chan's" slim shoulders, that masked smile returning as he looks at Daichi and gestures to the light-haired male. 

"This is Sugawara Koushi, a regular and neighbor of our little flower shop!"

The newcomer smiled wider as his name was spoken, his eyes crinkling because of his round cheeks. "That's me! Nice to meet you Sawamura-chan! Its fine for me to call you that, yes?"

The black haired male nodded, his eyes wide. "Sure, its nice to meet you too Sugawara-san..."

Koushi chuckled and shook his head, waving his hand. "Just call me Suga, honorifics just make me feel old even though I use them all the time. Silly of me, isn't it? Ah well, that's just what makes me unique!" He then extended a hand. "Let's shake to honor this moment as us being new friends!"

Daichi looked at the extended pale hand before taking it with his own. His hand was much larger and callous from his time back in high school when he had frequently joined volunteer groups to earn himself needed service hours. The hand he took was soft and warm, squeezing his own gently before moving up and down in a careful shake. As they let go of one another Daichi realized in surprise that his heart had skipped a beat.

Hajime watched the two with an amused expression before shaking his head and slipping off his apron. "We're gonna need a lot of your help Suga-kun, you know that me and Tooru will be leaving for the wedding in a couple days and need to leave this old place to this complete stranger for about a month. First things first though, we need to have the evaluation done."

With a start Daichi looked over his shoulder at Hajime at the counter, his brows raised. "What, now?"

"Yes now!" Tooru answered for his co-owner, a teasing smile on his face as he pushed Daichi back towards Koushi. "The test begins right now!"

Daichi opened his mouth to question his confusion when he felt a critical gaze settling on his face. Looking back at the light haired male in front of him he saw Koushi looking at him with a finger on his chin, his tongue poking the side of his cheek from inside his mouth as he hummed in thought. Daichi gulped as two shining brown eyes stared heavily into his own. People weren't wrong when they came up with the phrase, "Eyes are the window to the soul," Daichi could feel his very personality being evaluated through those clear brown eyes, them in return only reflecting his own face and hiding whatever secrets that their owner could hold.

Tooru rested his hands on his hips, Hajime walking up next to him and crossing his arms.

"Well?" Hajime broke the thick atmosphere with a raised brow.

Koushi hummed once more in thought before straightening and smiling, raising a thumb. "He passes! He seems like a great person, you really chose well Iwaizumi!"

The black haired older male chuckled as Tooru pouted and pointed to himself, saying with a keen, "I'm the one who chose him Suga-chaaaan! Stop giving Hajime all the credit!"

Daichi stared dumbfounded as the three began to interact freely with one another, completely forgetting about his existence. 

He would blame life again about this situation, but it was probably overused by now.

"I look forward to getting to see you work next to me everyday!"

Daichi shook his head out of his stupor and returned a slow smile back at Koushi, replying with a small sound of agreement. Thinking a moment where did Koushi work? He seemed like a respectable man, his dress-code and manner of speaking open and friendly. He frequented the flower shop as a customer and Tooru had mentioned something about artwork. Was he a studio artist? Daichi pondered.

Koushi laughed lightly, causing Daichi to look at him in shock as the ash-haired male gestured towards the door and grinned. "Thinking out loud? Well I work right down the block right next to this shop! Just walk out the door, turn left, and its the first store!" Picking up a bouquet of roses, one of the ones that Daichi had looked at when he had first arrived at the store, dropped a couple coins on the counter, waved at Tooru and Hajime, and lastly clapped Daichi on the shoulder. "I'll see you around neighbor!"

With that the cooling breeze of a newcomer was out the door and turning left out of sight.

"Whew, Suga-chan is always so refreshing, don't you think Hajime?" Tooru exclaimed as the door closed shut, his arms resting behind his head.

"One thing I can agree with you on I guess," Hajime replied before glancing at Daichi, who was still staring at the door with a flustered expression. "So congratulations, you passed the evaluation! You begin work next Monday, Tooru and I leave on Sunday. We'll be giving you the keys to the store before you leave today..."

Daichi's mouth opened and closed as he gaped similar to a fish. Why was his heart beating so fast? Why did his face tingle with warmth? Was his throat dry? And most importantly...

"Iwaizumi-san, c-could I ask you a question?"

The black haired male quieted and raised a brow, grunting for Daichi to continue.

Licking his dry lips and clearing his dry throat, he looked over at the two shop owners and asked in a wincing-worthy raspy voice, "The store to our left, that's the one tattoo parlor, right?"

Hajime and Tooru looked at each other before the latter nodded, his shoulders raising in a shrug. "Yeah, that's the store Suga works at. What about it, don't tell me you fell for our little Suga-chan!"

The tone was completely teasing but Daichi could feel his chest constrict at the comment.

Well this was another stone thrown into his plans.

Enter a university, take afternoon classes, spend the mornings working a job, find a girl you like and marry after you graduate, settle down with a well paying job, possibly have kids.

The first three steps were complete, but now the fourth one was ripped up in tatters. Daichi groaned and reached up to massage his forehead.

He needed an iced coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I be working on my other Daisuga fic? Yes.  
> Was this a good idea? No.  
> Will this take me forever? Probably.  
> Was it fun to write? Absolutely.
> 
> Feel free to tell me anything that's wrong or what you think in the comments! Also if I should continue with this story, since I have something planned but it is really a secondary writing compared to my other project. I would really like to see your opinions!
> 
> I am looking for a beta that can communicate with me over email! Please send me a message if you are interested!  
> Please send me requests or speak with me about this au over tumblr at [youubi](http://youubi.tumblr.com)!


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